How many women in Ireland are here?

[yesawoman]

Sorry, Im sure this has been done before, but I'm new to posting here, though I was a heavy mumsnet user back in the baby days.

I am entirely gender critical, but in secret. Only talk about it with two close friends, follow debates on Twitter but don't join in because it's all so awful.

I feel like I've got to the point though where I feel I need to do something in the fight against this. But what to do? I don't really want to join in any Twitter debate because its just abuse.

Anyway I don't really know what my point is other than that I'm angry and I'm glad to connect with some like minded women.

I'm in Ireland. And a similar situation to you. On twitter, never comment, just read. The recent Barbie Kardashian story has really tipped me over the edge and I too feel like I should do something, but am really not sure what/how. And, I have a job that makes expressing any kind of political viewpoint in public very risky.

I'm here: not Irish but a recent immigrant, and will be staying.
Lots of Irish GCs here!
There are also a couple of newly formed Irish groups on Facebook and Twitter. We are moving closer together.

Check out twitter.com/TCDFFT, The Countess didn't Fight for This, "a grassroots movement from all corners of Ireland & Diaspora. We are campaigning to amend the GRA to take account of the clear conflict of rights."
(I'm not sure which countess -- can't be EN surely, as she's English?)

On twitter, never comment, just read. The recent Barbie Kardashian story has really tipped me over the edge and I too feel like I should do something, but am really not sure what/how.

How much attention generally has that received in Ireland? I've been honestly surprised at the extent to which people I've known for years have bought into the whole ideology, glossing over inconvenient bits of biology or systemic misogyny.

I'm Irish. Like that lurked on twitter for a few years not posting.jk rowling inspired me to start expressing opinions

The first Tweet on that link, September 29th:

Ireland is supposed to be a shining beacon of progress these days...

but in fact, we have sleepwalked into a nightmare.

As we send out our first tweet to the world, our thoughts go to the female inmates of Limerick Prison.
If no one else will speak for them, we will.

A promising beginning, with over 3k followers already.

(How does one get those little screenshots of Tweets?)

@Malahaha

I'm here: not Irish but a recent immigrant, and will be staying. Lots of Irish GCs here! There are also a couple of newly formed Irish groups on Facebook and Twitter. We are moving closer together.

Check out twitter.com/TCDFFT, The Countess didn't Fight for This, "a grassroots movement from all corners of Ireland & Diaspora. We are campaigning to amend the GRA to take account of the clear conflict of rights."
(I'm not sure which countess -- can't be EN surely, as she's English?)

Countess Markievicz - irish politician , revolutionary , suffragist. Some people on Twitter are Very Cross that they have dared taken the countess’ name.

I wish there was some way we could take the debate away from Twitter; imo social media and the level of debate it brings is part of what’s got us into this mess in the first place

Not a whole lot of attention from what I can gather. When the story first broke, and they weren’t reporting it was a biological male , a lot of people I follow expressed concern and surprise at the fact of a woman claiming she wanted to rape and kill people being released into the public. Since the truth was revealed...silence from them

I agree about Twitter. I absolutely hate it, and really am only there for professional reasons. And to support those GC people who are active, but liking their tweets. I hardly ever post anything myself. But if it's where people are organising, I'm going to follow.

I'm Irish, living rurally. I am concerned about women's rights, I've discussed it with a few friends, notably the barbie kardashian case. Most people don't seem as shocked as I am. I follow relevant accounts on Twitter, but hate arguing online. Also a close family member is a passionate trans activist (though not trans) and I can't be bothered falling out with them. Still, it quite consumes me this dystopian mess!

I'm Irish. Almost everyone I know is clueless about the GRA. I have spoken with my teen daughter about it. She thinks it doesn't make any difference to her. I asked her how she would feel sharing a toilet with a transwoman. Her reply "I would go to a different one"
I am trying to get her to think about this before she heads off to college and becomes indoctrinated.

www.womensspaceireland.ie

I'm here.
I am GC in a moderate way - I dont think a hardline position on any issue is helpful.

Genuine dysphoria, have absolute sympathy with as I deal with cases somewhat tangentially at work.

The "conflict of rights" narrative annoys me, as it suggests some sector has to 'lose' and makes it into "women" vs "poor trans kids".
It's not.
It's women vs a system that always tries to diminish 50% of the population, due to the system's own inadequacies.

I have no truck with anyone of any colour, creed, political belief, gender, sex, race, cultural background, or language threatening violence regardless of the issue. Ditto burning books. Ditto no-platforming people because they come to debate your/their ideas (looking at The Hist).

If you need to threaten violence you are worried about the strength in your argument.

My position is that:

• humans cannot change their biological sex
• ANY time a person tries to breach my boundaries, I will harden them
• gender roles/stereotypes are both helpful to some and damaging to others. Let people be people.
• biological women are a target for hate, and some are recruited to be haters, thinking that it makes them safe. It doesn't.
• Read your safeguarding..... introducing sexual ideologies to children is unsafe for them, and manipulative.

Irish - but lived in UK since childhood.

Appalled at what has been happening.

@EarlofEggMcMuffin

I'm here. I am GC in a moderate way - I dont think a hardline position on any issue is helpful.

Genuine dysphoria, have absolute sympathy with as I deal with cases somewhat tangentially at work.

The "conflict of rights" narrative annoys me, as it suggests some sector has to 'lose' and makes it into "women" vs "poor trans kids".
It's not.
It's women vs a system that always tries to diminish 50% of the population, due to the system's own inadequacies.

I have no truck with anyone of any colour, creed, political belief, gender, sex, race, cultural background, or language threatening violence regardless of the issue. Ditto burning books. Ditto no-platforming people because they come to debate your/their ideas (looking at The Hist).

If you need to threaten violence you are worried about the strength in your argument.

My position is that:

• humans cannot change their biological sex
• ANY time a person tries to breach my boundaries, I will harden them
• gender roles/stereotypes are both helpful to some and damaging to others. Let people be people.
• biological women are a target for hate, and some are recruited to be haters, thinking that it makes them safe. It doesn't.
• Read your safeguarding..... introducing sexual ideologies to children is unsafe for them, and manipulative.

I agree with you entirely Earl. I suppose the trouble comes from the fact that stating a position on biological sex automatically makes one a hard liner in some peoples eyes which I find so entirely baffling that i find myself at times getting a bit sneery and dismissive . Which I don’t like .

🙋 I'm here, I don't do twitter either, apart from lurking & reading a bit. When it comes up on fb or IRL my friends are all largely gc & amazed that we have self id. Not raised the issue with family, I fear my younger female relations will be "be kind". I do struggle with not being on the 'liberal' side any more, having been pro gay rights, pro same sex marriage, pro repeal...

@Malahaha that would be Countess Markiewicz, foundation of state era, anglo-irish, first female MP in Westminster, first female cabinet minister in europe in Irish parliament. She was one of the sisters from lissadell written about by Yeats & married a Polish count.
And I presume the twitter screenshots are literal screenshots & posted as images?

@C8H10N4O2, honestly not a lot, it's been fully reported on gript.ie which is a youth defence news website & briefly on irish indo at least without full details.

@yesawoman my position on biological sex comes from being a farmer .
Sometimes I despair that people have moved so far from the real world- they need to be out hauling hay and clearing out a slurry tank for a while.

@EarlofEggMcMuffin I've been known to mutter "a day footing turf would put smacht on you, you fecking gobshite' 🙄

stating a position on biological sex automatically makes one a hard liner in some peoples eyes

Exactly. 'Biological sex is real' or 'sex matters' gets you labelled as the bad sort.

@Nara2k Thanks for the info on the Baroness. I'm afraid I've been so involved with learning about GC issues I'm very poor on Irish history! But I'll get there eventually.

I'm Irish and living in NI. I have been lurking here and on twitter for a long time. I'm GC and have been since I was sexually assaulted by a TW who I saw as a good and close friend 14 years ago. Biological men are biological men and I am openly GC in RL. People tend to roll their eyes at this stage with me. I don't care. This is important. I have had the experience that worries people. Its real and it happens.

So sorry @ZestyDragon

Hi All, Irish and on here. Actively involved in this issue now, but it is all down to reading everything posted by the amazing women of FWR over the past 2 years. There are lots of active feminist posters on here who live in Ireland. We don't just post on the Irish themes, we are involved in all chat around Feminism (and housekeeping, and pets and style ).

But this recent stuff has taken my involvement to a new level.

I'm Irish and semi secretly GC.

Anseo!

I'm Irish and openly GC. I'm in my late 30s though with children and I think that makes a difference as I have a young daughter. Have spoken about JK Rowling, Barbie Kardashian in the staffroom at the large primary school I teach at. I have yet to meet a primary teacher who is happy to teach children the gender feelz programme that is being talked about (not part of curriculum yet though). There is a child at school who is presenting as opposite sex. Everyone is kind to the child judges the parents as it is very obviously an agenda pushed by them. Toilets are separate individual cubicles at back of classroom so no toileting issues here